So... no World Cup thread yet? (also featuring TTLG fantasy world cup game)

D'Arcy on 26/5/2006 at 14:23

I'm going to check that fantasy football site.

For some reason, in every tournament Spain is considered favourite. And yet, in every one of those tournaments, they fail miserably. So I definitely wouldn't bet on them.

Also, I think that England is only a favourite in english supporter's heads (which is only natural). Although they have several good players, particularly in midfield, they always fail to impress me as a team. England has only won one major tournament, playing at home, and we all know under which circumstances that happened (with the traditional help that every team playing a major tournament at home gets). Ironically, the man I think is the main responsible for giving England a fair chance against continental sides, since he pretty much eliminated that traditional silly 'kick and rush' english style of play from the national team, will be sacked after the World Cup.

As for Brazil, no matter how good they are, they always progress. To me, it seems that FIFA believes that it's good publicity to have Brazil going far in a tournament, and with Ronaldinho getting a free kick conceded every time he looks at a referee, I suppose they can do well this year.

And I'd say that Germany, being the home team, has at least a quarter-final spot already reserved, despite the fact that they're playing awfully.

Shevers on 26/5/2006 at 14:32

You could be an adopted Celtic fan with that cynicism against officials, D'Arcy ;)

I agree with you that England never seem as good as a team as many other countries, although personally I think that them getting a new manager could well change that. We shall see.

Naartjie on 26/5/2006 at 14:39

I'd have loved to have seen someone other than McClaren get the job, though. The current England team is packed with internationally renowned stars, to have McClaren in charge of them all seems a total waste.

Plus the fact that as a manager, he's a bit crap.

Paz on 26/5/2006 at 14:42

I've heard nasty rumours that Terry Venables might be involved at some level too.

So I guess I won't need to bother bad-minding England for the next few years.

Shevers on 26/5/2006 at 14:49

I heard that too, but you wonder where they'd put him. He seems only useful as a coach but with the english FA there's always the chance they could do something ridiculous and put him behind a desk. Of course, as far as I'm concerned there's not much point having him there anyway.

As for this fantasy football thing: does anyone know the minimum number of teams for a league?

Headphones on 26/5/2006 at 14:56

I heard that he was being brought in to replace Rooney.

amiritee

D'Arcy on 26/5/2006 at 15:04

Quote Posted by Shevers

You could be an adopted Celtic fan with that cynicism against officials, D'Arcy ;)

Hey, after seeing how South Korea reached the semis in the last World Cup, I now believe FIFA has the power to make anything happen ;)

SD on 26/5/2006 at 16:54

Quote Posted by D'Arcy

For some reason, in every tournament Spain is considered favourite. And yet, in every one of those tournaments, they fail miserably. So I definitely wouldn't bet on them.

Yes, you are right D'Arcy. Spain are the classic under-achievers.

AND YET I really do think they have "turned a corner". I don't know if it's the resurgence of Spanish club football (Spanish sides really dominated in Europe this year, and a winning mentality is essential for anyone who harbours dreams of success) or the fact that they now have a good proportion of the squad plying their trade in the rough-and-tumble of the English Premier League (adding a bit of much-needed steel to the skill that the Spanish have always been renowned for) but I feel that their chances are better than they ever have been.

Also, when you have the (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGWg8pIYc5g) best passer of a ball in world football to build your team arund, you have to be confident of unlocking any defence (yes those highlights are all from ONE match).

Quote:

Also, I think that England is only a favourite in english supporter's heads (which is only natural). Although they have several good players, particularly in midfield, they always fail to impress me as a team. England has only won one major tournament, playing at home, and we all know under which circumstances that happened (with the traditional help that every team playing a major tournament at home gets).

I won't deny that England had some luck in winning the World Cup in 1966. But you do them a great disservice; that England side was genuinely the best in the world in the late 60s, and this was in the face of some petty stiff competition from the likes of Beckenbauer's Germany and Eusebio's Portugal. Players like Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton are among the greatest who have ever played the game.

Quote:

Ironically, the man I think is the main responsible for giving England a fair chance against continental sides, since he pretty much eliminated that traditional silly 'kick and rush' english style of play from the national team, will be sacked after the World Cup.

You give Eriksson far too much credit for this. From the early 90s and the advent of the Premier League, the influx of foreign players (and coaches) to our national arena has rubbed off on our own players, with the result that English football of 2006 is unrecognisable from that of 1986. Players like Gerrard, Lampard, Cole and Rooney are as technically gifted as any on the planet, but this isn't Erksson's doing, it was just the natural progression. If anything, Howard Wilkinson (the dour, grey man of English football) deserves a lot of the credit for introducing soccer academies to England.

I for one don't believe that England will win the tournament, but there's no reason why they shouldn't be in with a shout.

dh124289 on 26/5/2006 at 17:29

I bet that if Rooney does get fit in time to play a part, the first defender to play against him will crunch that weak foot of his.

Vernon on 26/5/2006 at 17:42

where's the Australia option

except not